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[Stacy Carlsen Sr.]

I'm looking to buy a bandsaw for my home wood shop. Don't know what brand to buy. Can someone out there please tell me what brand work the best.

[Tim Grace]

Kinda depends on what you are looking to do and what your budget is.

Are you looking for a bench top model or a floor model?

Are you looking to do small curved cuts on relatively thin stock or resaw lumber?

Are you looking to spend less than $200, more than $5000 or somewhere in between?

FWIW, I spent more for my bandsaw than any other tool in my shop, about $1400.  This was to replace a much less capable bandsaw (Skil 9" benchtop model, $129).  The Skil still works fine, and I still use it for very small items.  The Skil was just no match when trying to resaw some 3" wide 8/4 walnut.  It made it through, it just took 20 minutes to do it and was at the maximum of the saws capacity.

My new saw is a Laguna 14BX. It has a resaw capacity of 13".  It will also do the fine curve cuts.  

There are other brands out there, as well (Jet, Powermatic, Rikon, Delta, Grizzly, Craftsman).  

Most 9 or 10" saws are well under ½ Hp and will struggle with thicker stock.  In most cases, the tables are cast/machined aluminum and will not be as accurate as a table with cast iron or steel.  The fences and miter gauges are also nowhere near as accurate as what you would find on larger (14") saws.

A 14" saw will give you more options in power, resaw capability, and blade options.  A saw with larger wheels will typically run smoother than its smaller counterparts.

Laguna's 14Twelve is a 1¾ HP, 14" saw that runs about $1000.  

Jet's JWBS-14CS is a 1HP, 14" saw that costs about $750

Grizzly's G0555 is a 1HP, 14" saw that will set you back about $575

Rikon's 10-305 is a 1/3HP, 10" saw that will be about $400, and is a step above what you will find at Home Depot, Lowes or HF.

Skil, Ryobi, PC and others have saws in the $150 range, and they are all going to be similar. Delta, Craftsman and a few others fit into that range between $150 and $750.  

There are others out there, as well, especially if you are looking industrial (Baliegh), which will set you back several thousand dollars.

Again, which is best will be what is best for you, and only you can determine that.  You need to consider your use and budget.